


Lovestruck

by Sometimes_I_Write_Good



Series: Sledgefu Week 2019 [3]
Category: The Pacific - Fandom
Genre: Day 3, M/M, Neighbors, Sid is so done, Sledge is smitten, Sledgefu Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-27 16:22:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19016494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sometimes_I_Write_Good/pseuds/Sometimes_I_Write_Good
Summary: Sledge may or may not be mildly infatuated with the man next door. Sid just wants them to talk already.





	Lovestruck

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 went well, I think.

“You’re staring again, Gene,” Sid muttered as he watched his best friend linger by the window. Sledge ignored him and wistfully sighed. 

“Do you think he’s single?” he asked, finally glancing at Sid and leaving the window. Sid just sighed and shrugged and looked back at the newspaper in his hands. 

“I don’t know, ask him yourself. You’re the one who’s been obsessed with him since he moved in, not me.” He imagined Sledge rolling his eyes and listened to his footsteps as he left the window and fell onto the couch. “He lives right next to you, he’s probably already caught you staring at least once.” Sid looked up in time to watch Sledge’s cheeks go bright red and lightly chuckled at the sight. Sledge gave him an annoyed look and tossed a pillow at him, which, to Sledge’s dismay, only made him laugh more. 

“Shut up. Besides, he would’ve come over if he’d seen me anyways.” Sid gave him a doubtful look and shrugged. 

“You’d think.” He leaned back and thought for a minute before he glanced at Sledge and wickedly grinned. “Gene, I’m not sure you could even talk to him. Hell, I’ll bet on that fact.” Sledge frowned and gave him an indignant look. 

“I could talk to him! I could go outside right now and have a perfectly good conversation with him!” Sid snorted and he had to force himself not to start laughing again, which led to being on the receiving end of a smack on the head from Sledge. “Just you wait, Phillips. You’ll see.” He quickly strode to the front door and opened it, ignoring Sid’s amused grin as he left the house and quickly strode toward his neighbor’s house, only pausing when he reached the driveway. He looked up and saw his neighbor with sweat clinging to his dark curls and olive skin with the sun shining down on him and silently prayed that his face wasn’t as red as he thought it was as he nervously approached. He took a breath and tapped on the man’s shoulder and shyly smiled when he turned around. “Hi... I’m Eugene Sledge, I live next door.” His voice came out much quieter than he thought it would, but the slightly older man in front of him just half-smiled and chuckled. 

“Merriell Shelton. It’s nice to see that my silent admirer has finally come to talk to me.” Sledge turned flustered and glanced down at his feet. 

“I didn’t think you’d noticed... I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” Merriell’s features softened and he kindly smiled at Sledge. 

“It’s alright,” he assured him. “You don’t have to look so down about it.” Sledge slowly glanced up at Merriell’s face and relaxed when he didn’t see any signs of judgement. 

“Thank you, sir.” Merriell chuckled and took Sledge’s hand, which caused him to look up and think about just how small his hands were compared to Merriell’s. 

“No need to thank me, but I want to give you something before you leave.” Sledge’s expression turned slightly curious as Snafu led him into his garage, which had nothing more than Snafu’s car, a snowblower, a ladder, a small workbench with two drawers underneath it, some basic yard and gardening tools, and a space for what Sledge assumed was the lawnmower sitting in Merriell’s front walkway. He paused when Merriell let go of his hand and opened the workbench’s top drawer for a Sharpie and a pad of Post-It notes that were among the drawer’s contents. He watched him uncap the Sharpie and messily scrawl down a series of numbers before he took the Post-It off of its pad and handed it to Sledge. “So that, instead of sidelong glances, you and I can talk more often.” Sledge took the note from Merriell and, while resisting the urge to bounce on his toes like an excited middle schooler, smiled at him and politely and thanked him, promising to text him as soon as he got home before running off. Merriell merely chuckled and watched him go while he silently took note of how bright and happy Sledge looked. And as Sledge bounced into the house and smiled wider than ever, Sid knew that Sledge had finally talked to him and that, while no official bet was made, he probably owed Sledge an apology and twenty dollars.


End file.
